


A Smile is Still Worthwhile

by RosaClearwater



Series: Facetious Fusions [23]
Category: Inside Out (2015)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-23 23:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13200537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosaClearwater/pseuds/RosaClearwater
Summary: It’s not really all that bad.I mean, it's not as though we were all shut out of Headquarters again. And nobody is being purposefully excluded from the group.Well… sorta.





	A Smile is Still Worthwhile

It’s not really all that bad. 

 

I mean, it's not as though we were all shut out of Headquarters again. And nobody is being purposefully excluded from the group.

 

Well… sorta.

 

See, Riley’s now eighteen. And in her last year of high school, let's just say that Fear has been at the helm more often than not.

 

It's not as though he's being bossy or controlling. He just feels this urge to take over, he feels as though he needs to be the one steering.

 

And that's been interesting. He's not trying to scare Riley, but he's been spending a lot of time in charge. Making decisions, guiding her on that perfect college.

 

And, Sadness has been his right hand emotion for the most part. It's just one of those things where we all know they need to be taking over for a little while.

 

And, that’s totally cool. I've grown up a bit myself, and I know that I sometimes I can't be the one in charge.

 

But, now all the applications have been sent in and we're just waiting.

 

Now, I can be patient at times, really.

 

But I think Fear’s rubbed off on me because I'm also concerned. 

 

It's been a little while since everything was submitted. Now, my friend just numbly guides the controls when it's his turn. Now, he's done calculating and thinking and now he's worrying.

 

To the point where he's excluding himself and hiding from the group.

 

So, you see, he's not being excluded or locked out of HQ. We’re supporting him -- even if his nerves have rubbed off on us. 

 

Problem is, he's the one who's shutting himself away. As though it's all on him when it comes to college decisions.

 

And we've been working on it. I've talked to him after hours, we've opened up about this whole process. There have been hours of discussion, several hugs exchanged, and comfort shared.

 

But he's still not convinced that he can officially share this burden with us.

 

So, that's why I'm right outside his door.

 

“Fear?”

 

“Joy?” It's muffled, hesitant. Dare I say, afraid.

 

“Can I come in?”

 

There's a silence and I almost start to frown. 

 

_ Please don't let me out _ .

 

“Maybe later.” He's quiet, and I lean into the door that's still closed. I'm not defeated just yet, but I can't help the sigh that escapes me.

 

I also can't hide the fact that all of this is tiring. That I want to slide down the door and let the happiness fade for a moment.

 

“Fear?”

 

“Yes, Joy?”

 

“Do you know what the difference between fear and excitement is?” I can hear him pause, trying to work out if this is some sort of pun that I got from Riley surfing the internet.

 

But it's not and in a moment he gives up on trying to guess.

 

“What's the difference?” 

 

I looked up, as though I could look through the door and see only him.

 

And then I did what I do best:

 

“A smile.” 

 

I let my happiness glow.

 

And, after a little of while, the door is opened in mild trepidation.

 

“A smile?”

 

“A smile.”

**Author's Note:**

> Care to guess our quotation for this piece? :)
> 
> “Love is the only thing that can save this poor creature, and I am going to convince him that he is loved even at the cost of my own life. No matter what you hear in there, no matter how cruelly I beg you, no matter how terribly I may scream, do not open this door or you will undo everything I have worked for.” -- Young Frankenstein
> 
> Not as dramatic as the satirical film originally intended, but I love this quotation far too much to exclude it from this project :)


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